Counting Bucks to Fall Asleep: A Hunter’s Diary

This buck visits me in my dreams. My husband says this buck talks to him in his dreams. But we’ve only seen him once, and it was just a few weeks before season start, that is until recently.

Our trail camera caught him as he was taking a late night stroll through the woods. He must have known bow season’s opening day because this fella traveled across the main road to the other side of the power lines into what is practically our backyard.

A few months before the start of the season, the day after we moved to New Hampshire, we set up a trail camera in a nice, oaky area. We just had a good feeling about the spot; my husband has an eye for prime deer stomping grounds. The area was near a water source, but far enough away that deer would not feel exposed to the open.

As for me, this was my first experience hunting with the aid of a trail camera. Who knew you could have a camera record game for you, and even tell you the times of day these hooved beauties would pay a visit to our chosen location? I realized then that I still had a lot to learn to become as adept a hunter as my husband.

When we moved the camera to a spot on our side of the road, still near the power lines, we never thought we would see that same buck. The new location was also hidden well, but near a road well traveled. I anticipate checking the camera every week, though occasionally we allow for a little more time in between to avoid disturbing the area too much.

We’re onto him now, continuing to find old scrapes and rubs, with the added bonus of finding last year’s shed. My husband and I are taking turns, spreading our time out wisely so as not to overly hunt the area and satiate it with our scents. If either of us get him, the other is on cooking duty.